1
2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite
tensions mounted until the people rose up in rebellion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in family
a group of persons who come from the same ancestor
introduced my new boyfriend to my people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to inhabit
to supply with inhabitants
a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of people
John Cassidy, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Two people were killed and two others injured when two vehicles collided head-on Friday evening along a dusty, deserted stretch of road in the Antelope Valley, authorities said.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Oct. 2025
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for people
Plural noun
Now the airline’s demise has cleared the way for competitors to raise their prices—and has left roughly seventeen thousand people out of work.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Two people were killed and two others injured when two vehicles collided head-on Friday evening along a dusty, deserted stretch of road in the Antelope Valley, authorities said.
—Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Verb
Throughout Humphreys County and Hickman County, peopled gathered with their churches for support and comfort in the days after the tragedy.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Oct. 2025
The Master is the greatest of them all, a movie peopled by characters who are at once intensely human and also the stuff of otherworldly fables.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for people
Recent Examples of Synonyms for people
Verb
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Clouds is the first luxury retreat for visitors to this national park—a more ancient and biodiverse ecosystem than the Virunga Mountains, inhabited by Rwanda and Congo’s gorilla population.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
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Rebecca Montero’s lighting design and Steve Covey’s projection design helps define the many places Moses inhabits, shifting the mood and focus with subtle changes that suggest everything from cold, city streets to synagogues to the Berkshire woods.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The peripheral areas, while much more sparsely populated than the main population centers, are dominated by ethnic groups that feel neglected by the central government, most notably the Tuaregs in northern Mali.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
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Jimmy’s creative community is populated with dozens of real-life artists that Sachs has known over the years.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“People.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/people. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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